DISPOSABLE RESPIRATOR

• US 3,861,381 A
• Filed: 04/02/1973
• Issued: 01/21/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Credit Lyonnais (New York) (Crédit Lyonnais SA)
• Original Assignee: Guy G. Klinger, Ronald L. Witman
• Inventors: Witman, Ronald L., Klinger, Guy G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaudet, Richard A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Recla, Henry J.
• Application Number:
  US05/346,991
• Time in Patent Office: 659 Days
• Field of Search: 128/146.6,146.7,143.3,146.2,146,142.6,141 55/514,524
• US Class Current: 128/206.12
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/06 Respiratory or anaesthetic masks
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/106 in a path
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/0238 the material being a coating or protective layer
• CPC Class Codes: A62B 23/025 the filter having substantially the shape of a mask surgical face masks A41D13/11
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/14336 Coating a portion of the article, e.g. the edge of the article B29C45/14573 and B29C45/14598 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/14 Filters optical filters B29L2011/0066, sieves or screens B29L2031/737
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/4835 Masks

Abstract

A respirator is described in which the shell portion joins the filter mat by a unique juncture wherein portions of the filter mat are mechanically bonded to the material of the shell and other portions of the mat may be attached by welding or chemical bonding to the material of the shell. The mechanical bonding is obtained by molding the shell into and around the edges of the filter mat. The welding is obtained by the incorporation of selected materials in the filter that heat weld to the material of the shell when the latter is molded about the former. The materials of shell and filter mat may be chosen to be pliant and flexible thereby providing a respirator that is adaptable to the static and dynamic facial contours of the user. Because of the molded construction of the respirator, it can be made at a low cost. In the manufacture of the filter mat shell joint, it is important that the mat be sealed off at the boundary of the joint area to prevent molten shell material from penetrating too far into the filter mat.

Claims

1. In a respirator of the type having a fibrous mat filter element, a respirator shell portion and a joint portion the joint portion uniting the shell portion and the filter element, the improvement which comprises:

the inclusion in the joint portion of a solid area containing both shell material and filter fibers and fusion welds between fibers of the filter element and the material of the shell portion.

2. A respirator as defined in claim 1 wherein the material of the fibers which fusion weld is selected from the group which consists of orlon, nylon, polyester and polypropylene and the material of the shell is selected from the group which consists of polypropylene, polyethylene, and plasticized polyvinyl chloride.

3. A respirator as defined in claim 1 wherein a continuous circumferential area of the filter element in the vicinity of its perifery is compressed, the portion of the filter element within the compressed area being a working area containing filter material alone and the portion of the filter element outside the compressed area along with shell material forming the joint portion of the respirator.

4. A respirator as defined in claim 1 wherein the joint section also includes fibers held to the shell portion by chemical bonds.

5. A respirator as defined in claim 1 wherein shell material in the solid joint area surrounds the perifery of the filter element.

6. A respirator as defined in claim 5 wherein when the joint portion is viewed in cross section the shell material envelopes the joint area on three sides thereof.

7. A respirator as defined in claim 1 wherein the joint section also includes fibers held to the shell portion by mechanical joints.

8. A respirator as defined in claim 7 wherein the material of the fibers which are held to the shell by mechanical means is selected from the group which consists of cellulose fiber, animal fibers, untreated glass fibers, carbon fibers and graphite fibers.

9. A respirator of the type having a fibrous mat filter element, the fibrous mat including fibers of a thermoplastic material, a respirator shell portion, comprising a thermoplastic material, and a joint portion, the joint portion uniting the shell portion and the filter element wherein in the joint portion the said thermopLastic fibers are heat fused to the shell portion.